Just One Dance
by I's that C
Summary: Itachi and Kurenai could not have less in common. But the ghosts of their pasts leave them inexplicably drawn to one another. ItaKure, one shot, AU


Title: Just One Dance  
Pairing: ItaKure  
Ages: Itachi- 21, Kurenai- 31  
Type: Beginning  
Universe: AU, non massacre  
Warnings: Suicidal themes, mentions of divorce, implied adultery, and implied teenage antics

The motions felt well-rehearsed and natural to him. They ask you a question- What's it like to own such a big corporation at such a young age? What do you plan to do next? Are you single?- and you nod and smile, pretend to care, shake hands, make acquaintances- make _connections_ - and stay successful.

Itachi hated these stuffy black tie events. He hated talking to the greedy owners of other corporations, listening to their stories about doing anything it took to get to the top. It made him sick to be in their company, but it was worse to have to pretend to be like them.

The doors to the conference room open and, as his eyes drift to the figure entering the room, he remembers why he even bothers to show up.

Yuuhi Kurenai, recent widow, seven months pregnant, and the love of his life.

Itachi's heart simultaneously fluttered and broke as he took in her form. She was beautiful. Just as beautiful as the day he first laid eyes on her as his teacher in 11th grade English. She looked elegant in a sleek black dress that shamelessly hugged her curves despite her swollen abdomen and a black silk cardigan. The only hint of color in her ensemble, he noted, were her stunning, captivating, crimson eyes.

He shut his eyes for a short moment, remembering his time as a high school junior. He remembered showing no interest in girls while his friends spent all of their time desperately devising one stupid plan after another to steal a peek up Inuzuka Hana's skirt. He never understood it; he was disgusted by it. He even sometimes wondered if perhaps he was gay because of his lack of interest in the endeavors of his peers. But all of that changed during fourth period English on day one of grade eleven. That was the day that he realized that he wasn't interested in girls...

But very interested in women.

And so Itachi had sat in class, day dreaming about those spectacular eyes and pretending to struggle with the advanced literature so that he could come in after school for tutoring. It was during those after school sessions that his affections grew beyond physical attraction and he fell in love with her as a person. After their work was done, they would sit together and chat about anything from philosophy to the intricacies of the English language to their families to their hopes and dreams. Each day he found himself more and more enamored with the older woman.

Though there was a long period in which his affections grew, Itachi remembered clearly the day he realized that he was in love.

_The date was November 17th. Exactly ten days, six hours, and 39 minutes after an event that had completely changes his world and subsequently his outlook on life. _

_It was exactly ten days, six hours, and 39 minutes ago that he walked into the bedroom of his younger brother to wake him for school- something that he had done every day that he and Sasuke had been going to school- and was greeted not by the usual grumbling of the irritable and moody adolescent who was definitely not a morning person as per usual, but instead by a scene that belonged more in a horror movie than in what Itachi almost refused to believe was real life._

_Sasuke, lying in the middle of the floor with his wrists slashed open from the base of his palm to the crook of his elbow._

_Sasuke, covered in way too much of his own blood._

_Sasuke, just thirteen years old, and stone cold dead._

_The hours after that passed by in a blur. He remembered his mother's tears and his father's indifference as he paid off the police officer to report his death to the papers as an unfortunate accident in order to keep up the family company's image of all things._

_He remembered that he wasn't okay for a very long time after the incident. He remembered crying almost nonstop for three days. He remembered feeling so gut wrenchingly guilty that it made him physically sick. _

_Sasuke was, in essence his best friend. They were far closer than other siblings and told each other everything. And it killed Itachi to know that he hadn't seen the signs, the tell-tale red flags that showed that his brother was suicidal. It killed him to know that something had been hurting him so much that it made him want to die by his own hand. And it killed him to know that he would never know _why.

_For ten days after the incident, Itachi hardly slept at all. Every time he would close his eyes, all he would see were those horrible gaping gashes, as if black holes sucking in his own life essence and leaving him an empty shell. His father just didn't understand his grief, and though the fact that his own flesh and blood didn't even seem to care only added to his anguish, it did not stop Fugaku from forcing Itachi to finally return to school._

_That first day back was hard. All of his teachers had been informed of his brother's death and because of it, they all gave him these disgustingly pitying looks, and _comfortingly _informing him that Sasuke had died far too young- _as if that wasn't obvious- _and offered their sympathies and prayers- _as if any of them actually prayed-_ and told him- _as if it would ease the pain- _that on their way to work they had kept an eye out for the alleged unmarked red SUV that had stricken him down- and he had to pretend to be grateful and thank them._

_Though he was sure that school was the last place he wanted to be on such a terrible, horrible day, when he walked through the door of his English class, he breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like finally coming home. (_After all, without Sasuke, his own house was no longer a home_.)_

_As he sat at his desk focusing not on the lecture, but then again not on anything else in particular, Kurenai watched him, not saying anything. But this was Kurenai, and he thanked the gods-_ whatever gods there were that would allow the life to end of someone whose life had not yet begun-_ that Kurenai was not like them. Her gaze was one of empathy, of sadness for his sadness, of compassion and concern, and- or maybe this was just his wishful thinking- some form of love. And with one look, for the first time in ten days, six hours, an 39 minutes, he felt that maybe- just maybe- the shattered pieces of his heart were reparable. _

_And so Itachi sat through Kurenai's lecture hanging on her every word, taking more comfort in the lyric sound or her voice than he thought was possible. He closed his eyes, focusing on his teacher's voice as his life line and for the first time in almost two weeks, relaxed. The only thing that broke him out of his trance was when she leaned over his desk, the elegant scent of her perfume flooding his senses, and said, "When the bell dismisses for lunch hour, stay behind, please."_

_He said nothing in response, for they both knew that there was no way he could _not_ come. _

_In twenty minutes' time, the classroom was empty, save for the two who might have been lovers if not for their age difference. _

_"I'm so sorry about your brother, Itachi. I know he meant a lot to you," she began as soon as they were alone. "He was so young... Do... you know if they caught the driver who did it?"_

_Itachi felt his eyes fill with tears again. A hit and run. That was the story his father had invented to save his family's reputation. He took a deep, shuddering breath._

_"He didn't die in a car accident. He slit his own wrists," he corrected bluntly. _

_Her gaze cycled quickly from shock, to horror, to anguish. Kurenai said nothing, his sorrow painfully evident without further comment, only moved beside him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her and allowing him to cry into her bosom._

_It was then- confiding in her all of his fears, all of his guilt, and all of his sorrow- that he knew. He was hopelessly in love with this woman. _

Itachi opened his eyes, his gaze falling once more on Kurenai. The business men were still talking to him, but he didn't care. "Excuse me," he muttered, pushing his way out of their little circle and advancing on his target, who sat at the little makeshift bar area alone and looking as if the only thing she wanted at the time was to order something strong.

"A diet coke for me, and a fruit punch for the lady," he told the bar tender, placing the money on the counter. The man gave a nod and began pouring the drinks, winking at him slyly.

Ignoring the man and the stares from the business me that he could _feel_ on his back, he sat beside her, and she looked over, glaring- about to tell him exactly where to shove his fruit punch, no doubt- but her gaze softened the moment she recognized her company.

"Itachi," she said, a bit of surprise in her tone, "I... I didn't recognize your voice. It's gotten so deep..." She blushed slightly at her mistake and gave him an embarrassed little smile.

They had been attending the same parties ever since she had married the CEO of Kage Corporation, but they had mostly kept to their own circles during those gatherings, as Kage Corp. and Uchiha Corp. were business rivals. Her surprise was pleasant, however, and she smiled softly at him, and this was enough to make him happy.

"Ms. Yuuhi," he greeted, returning her smile and trying hard to ignore the butterflies rampaging in his stomach at her expression.

"How's my favorite student?" she asked endearingly, sipping from the juice the bartender set in front of her. "I'm glad it was you who sat beside me," she added almost as an afterthought. "You don't know how many of those creepy business men sit next to me and try to order me a Bud." She leaned back in her chair slightly and patted her belly. "Do I look like I need a beer? I've been obviously pregnant for the past three events I've been to," she muttered in exasperation.

Itachi chuckled at her light humor. "Well, I'm glad my company is desirable. I've been well." He smiled again. "And how is my favorite teacher?"

"I've been doing well myself, all things considered." She sighed, her voice dropping.

Itachi nodded. "I'm so sorry about your husband..." he said softly, his apologies sincere. He hated to see her dressed head to toe in black and looking so somber.

She sighed, leaning closer to him. "To be perfectly honest... Asuma's death hasn't really upset me that much. The truth is, we were in the middle of a divorce when it happened. We fought all of the time. We practically hated each other. The only reason we weren't already separated was the baby." She glanced at him, her eyes full of hesitation. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I don't mean to say that I'm glad he's dead or anything. I just... don't feel the way a widow should, I suppose."

"I understand what you mean," he said softly, remembering his father's reaction to Sasuke's death. "You know, my mother cheated on my father. Sasuke was the result of her affair. He... always resented him for that."

Kurenai raised a slender brow. "I didn't know that."

Itachi nodded. "Neither did I, until just a few years ago. And when Sasuke died... my father wasn't happy or anything. Just like you described it... he just didn't feel the way a father should at the death of a son."

"I suppose you do understand, then. You always did," she said with a nostalgic smile.

The two fell silent after that for several moments, sipping their drinks.

"I feel huge," Kurenai says, mostly to herself, but still interrupting the lapse in conversation.

Itachi swallowed hard, having been unable to take his eyes off her since she had walked into the room. "You look beautiful."

Kurenai blushed and looked away. Then laughed slightly.

He smirked. "What?"

"Nothing. You just reminded me of something." She smiled again, but this time it was a sad little smile. "It's funny. Back when you were my student, I used to have a bit of a crush on you."

Itachi felt his heart stop. Was he imagining things?

"You were so much more sophisticated than your peers, always such a good listener..." She laughed. " And I think you were the only male who didn't try to take pictures that day when someone opened a window and that Inuzuka girl's dress flew up."

Itachi blushed, remembering well that day, and his anger at the blatant disrespect his classmates had shown- even his own cousin Shisui.

"It's obvious that you had a respect for women that even a majority of men my age didn't poses." She sighed. "I remember going on awful first dates, where the men tried so hard to get me to go home with them and thinking, 'If only Itachi were just a little bit older...'"

She laughed at his undoubtedly shocked and flustered expression. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling. You don't have to say anything to that."

There was another moment of silence in which Itachi was speechless. His gaze wandered toward the little makeshift dance floor where several couples twirled to a slow song, thinking. The butterflies would certainly eat him alive if he didn't make some kind of a move now.

And so, abruptly, he stood. "Dance with me, Kurenai."

She glanced over towards him and he could see the hesitation in her eyes once again. "I don't think..." she began gently.

"You don't want to?"

"No I do, it's just..."

He held out his hand. "Then please. _Just_ _one dance_."

Blushing, she took the hand offered almost instinctively and without another word of protest. Her hand felt good in his as he led her to the dance floor and it surprised her. And dance they did, both ignoring the stares of nearly everyone in the room.

It was a bit awkward at first, because of her condition, but after a moment or so, this contact began to feel nice as well.

"You know, now that we're older... ten years doesn't seem like such a big age gap..." he said softly, almost like an invitation.

Kurenai nodded in agreement, her reservations at dancing with her former student falling away at his words, and the expression in his infinite black eyes. "You're right. It doesn't."

He pulled her closer and she allowed him to. She couldn't remember the last she had felt so good in a man's arms. And then came the words that she suddenly realized she had been longing to hear all night: "Kurenai... may I kiss you?" he whispered.

She smiled, and for the first time that night it reached her eyes. "Always so polite." She hesitated for a moment before reminding him, "You know, Itachi, my baby needs a daddy. I don't have time to play games. So, if you aren't serious..."

Itachi tightened his grip on her waist, resolve in his eyes. "I've never been more serious about anyone in my life."

Her smile widened, and rather than give him permission, she threaded her long, elegant fingers into his silky, black hair and pressed her lips firmly against his.

_This,_ Itachi thought, _is bliss. _

As they kissed, his mind drifted to the unborn child growing within her. The child was not his, and for a moment he wondered if that fact would cause him to feel the same sort of indifference that his father held towards Sasuke if he chose to be with her. But that was not a long moment. He had made up his mind. He loved Kurenai, and because the child was a part of her, he would love it as well. And when an Uchiha makes up his mind, he doesn't budge.

It would be difficult. But he would do it. _For her._


End file.
